Tenants face tough test to get the keys as crisis sets in

With the festive season now over, many people will now be looking to secure a new place to live for the new year.

Vacancy rates across the southeast are generally "tight", at less than 2.5 per cent, according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland.

And with Brisbane's rental market going from strength to strength, competition is heating up, meaning agents and landlords can afford to be picky.

Place Estate Agents director of property management Cathie Crampton said they saw a lot of prospective tenants make simple mistakes and miss out on a lease.

Cathie Crampton – Director of Property Management at Place

"Things like partial completion of applications only, no ID's, or not including financials in their application," she said, listing off some of the most common mistakes.

"Agencies will look you up on social media - so having a social media presence that shows destruction of property will kill your application straight away. Social media is used to understand applications and tenant applicability."

Ms Crampton said failure to disclose a pet was "a big no no", adding that rental laws were making it easier to have a pet.

"But it's always best to be upfront," she said.

With vacancies tight across much of Brisbane, competition can be fierce. Generic family outside house. Picture: THINKSTOCK

Other common mistakes include a tenant failing to prepay funds, delaying handover of keys, and tenants applying for properties above their financial means

"This can be fraught with problems for obvious reasons and getting behind in your rent can see you evicted or blacklisted," she said.

So what can you do to improve your chances of success? Ms Crampton offers this advice.